Letter to the Editor
Analysis of adoption rates for laparoscopy in colorectal surgery: why are they lagging behind?
Abstract
Minimally invasive surgery has been widely adopted in general surgery as well as many surgical subspecialties and has multiple benefits including lower perioperative complications and decreased length of stay (1). Despite a consistent increase in the use of laparoscopy in colorectal cases over a 10-year time period, from 22.7% in 2005 to 49.8% in 2014 (2), colorectal surgery tends to lag behind other specialties, including general (3,4). Further, as mentioned by Abu Gazala and Wexner, these rates are likely lower than actual national rates given the more academic and urban makeup of institutions participating in the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program.